More than 4,000 people expected July 1 for Door County Dairy Breakfast

Debbie and Ed Staats with their border collie Molly on their farm north of Sturgeon Bay at 5706 N. Country View Road. The Staats will be hosting the 37th annual Dairy Breakfast on Sunday, July 1, sponsored by the Sevastopol FFA Alumni Association.(Photo: Tina M. Gohr/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)Buy Photo

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include the correct admission cost.

SEVASTOPOL - Ed Staats chuckles and shakes his head when asked about changes in the dairy business since his parents farmed. Country View Farms LLC has been in his family since it was founded in 1883 by his great-grandfather, Jacob Staats.

The 80-acre farm started with a log cabin and a small barn that was home for several animals. The original buildings made way for a larger home, additional barns and more acreage to include more cows. When Ed's parents installed a milking parlor in 1959, they were considered ahead of the dairy curve while most farmers continued to milk cows from stanchions.

Since Ed and his wife, Deb Staats, took over the farm in 1985, advances in science and technology have leap-frogged to change the landscape of farming.

Now, Country View cows wear pedometers, lounge and sleep on water beds and get more check-ups from a medical team in one year than most humans. The farm has grown to include 1,000 acres with another 1,000 leased for crop farming. The couple and their employees milk about 424 cows three times a day.

The curious and the hungry will have an opportunity to savor the flavor of a down-home dairy breakfast July 1, which will be set on the expansive lawn of the family farm. More than 4,000 people are expected to descend on Country View Farms, Ed said.

This is the fourth year the couple has hosted the breakfast. Each time there's a monumental amount of planning and work involved, but when the day of the Door County Farm Breakfast arrives, it's a gratifying and joyful experience.

"It used to be that most folks were just one generation off of the farm and now, there are so many people who have never seen a cow being milked," Deb said. "They don't have a connection to a farm."

The smiles from children and the gleeful interaction of families are heart-warming, Deb said.

"We always have a couple of farm tractors for the kids to climb on and they love it and parents love to get photos of that," Deb said. "I often wonder how many Christmas cards are photos with our tractors or farm."

Visitors who drop in at the farm often are treated to a personal tour by Deb.

"If it's possible, I take the time to do that because it's important for people to see what we do and this is how we make our living," Deb says.

The couple has two adult children. Lucas Staats, 22, works on the farm. They employ about 15 full- and part-time workers.

Besides the dairy farm, Ed and his brother Ken Staats run a maple syrup operation bottling with the Country View Farms label. Deb and Ken's wife, Marjorie Staats, have created a tandem business marketing and selling products based on the maple syrup including pancake mix, caramel corn and a variety of granola.

The dairy breakfast will feature Country View Farms maple syrup.

Door County Dairy Farm Breakfast

The annual Door County Dairy Farm Breakfast raises funds for the Sevastopol School District FFA Club to award scholarships and provide educational materials and opportunities for youth interested in agriculture. The event is organized every year by the Sevastopol FFA Alumni.